Best looking Alembic you’ve seen

[Chickenwheels]

I caught James Taylor a couple of weeks back, with Jimmy Johnson, who has always been a big influence…quite accidentally. When I was starting on bass in the mid 80s my parents had this gospel album I jammed along to. It featured “Jimmy Johnson - Alembie 5 string base (sic)” lol. He played a short solo on one track which I attempted to learn. His playing on this album is astonishingly good, and unique.
Anyway, I’ve occasionally tried Alembic basses, but I’ve never liked the feel of them ergonomically. Obviously you can get used to things. But they are undeniably amazing instruments.
I was checking out their site as I’ve always thought a Rogue Series II might be the most sensible option. Then I saw this beauty and wanted to share:

Have you ever been knocked out by a particular Alembic looks wise? Because this is truely incredible!

 

[Chickenwheels]

(It looks almost edible, maybe that’s an appeal?)

 

[Ooba Tooba]

I saw this Persuader on an auction site. I’m a fan.

 

[bholder]

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I caught James Taylor a couple of weeks back, with Jimmy Johnson, who has always been a big influence…quite accidentally. When I was starting on bass in the mid 80s my parents had this gospel album I jammed along to. It featured “Jimmy Johnson - Alembie 5 string base (sic)” lol. He played a short solo on one track which I attempted to learn. His playing on this album is astonishingly good, and unique.
Anyway, I’ve occasionally tried Alembic basses, but I’ve never liked the feel of them ergonomically. Obviously you can get used to things. But they are undeniably amazing instruments.
I was checking out their site as I’ve always thought a Rogue Series II might be the most sensible option. Then I saw this beauty and wanted to share:
View attachment 5438198
Have you ever been knocked out by a particular Alembic looks wise? Because this is truely incredible!

That is a good looking bass!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

This was the Alembic I used to have back in the early Nineties.

 

[Gsnorgathon]

Best-looking Alembic? Any (that had a natural wood finish).

 

[Riff Ranger]

Here for the photographs I’ll see if I can find my 1989 catalog with the Spoiler with the flame koa top.

 

[g-dude]

Although I prefer the natural brass look, this one at Northern Lights Music is quite stunning:

 

[ptrick63]

Pic from his Wikipedia page…

 

[ezstep]

Mine. Lefty Orion 4, vermillion. Really nice.

 

[Root 5]

I have gazed longingly at EVHs, Rogues, Series II Omega basses, Spoilers. Gorgeous bass guitars.

 

[Snibborwocky]

I've always been fascinated by Alembic much like my fascination and awe of Carl Thompson. I kind of rank them in their own god tier luthier of craftsmanship. I probably couldn't single out a particular model as "the best looking" but, it would probably be something a little different color-wise, close to something like this...

 

[Danny O Danny]

I've long been intrigued by the Alembic "AJ" basses that were made in Japan in the mid-80's. I think they look really cool.

 

[roller]

When I see those basses, my back hurts.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Best-looking Alembic? Any (that had a natural wood finish).

True enough, although some look a little too flash and fiddly for my personal taste.

 

[carsbybigd]

There was - I played at an Alembic gathering years ago that was made up of mostly ebony. Extremely dark sounding . Here is my series 1

 

[carsbybigd]

I also had a maple Elan but dont have any pics of it .

 

[J Wilson]

I used to joke with Mica that I wanted to know how they were sourcing Martian wood.

I saw many in my time in the Alembic community, all of them one masterpiece after another, but THIS custom Bird of Prey lives in the back of my mind for free.

There's a lot going on here. Center to center cocobolo top (no gap to see the neck through). Look at the reserved wood pickup covers, identically grain matched back up with the book matched top. The closeup of the bridge area, see the ebony bridge saddles? The Flying Ming tailpiece. In the Omega cutout, the neckthrough is maple, purpleheart, and ebony layers. See the pistol grip in the bass side horn?

A different BoP example, the backside. Look at the layers of all the different woods, both in the neck and the wings, and the work it takes to make all this look right.

Of course, Alembic operates in its own end of the business, and often these are nothing like anything most of us have never seen up close or played, but it's a level of art and engineering that's simply unmatched by anything else. It's easy to say, 'well, for that kind of money . . . ', but even at that, look at the craftsmanship to make something like this 52 weeks a year for 50 years. Unbelievable.

I'll repeat what I often say: Alembics are NOT for everybody. But . . . . if you 'get it', believe me, there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING like an Alembic.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Time to trot this story out yet again:

I want to add to the chorus of praise for the people who craft these instruments.

My visiting buddy and I—both 19-year-old nobodies at the time—requested and received a tour of the Alembic facility shortly after I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. We really had no business being there, but the people at Alembic didn’t act like it. Mica showed us around personally, let us play basses belonging to Lenny Kravitz and (according to my buddy’s memory) Stanley Clarke while they were in for maintenance, and solemnly informed us that Allen Woody had just died. I have told some version of this story at pretty much every opportunity since then. I figure it’s the least I can do, because while that buddy of mine could probably afford an Alembic and play it properly these days, they will likely remain out of my reach. Those with the requisite budget, though, would be hard pressed to do business with better people.